Presentation

Interview with Papzoumama Diarra, African Risk Capacity

Interview with Barbara Fang, African Risk Capacity

Interview with Babatunde Lyanda, African Risk Capacity

Interview with Amanda Archibong, African Risk Capacity

Building Sovereign Disaster Risk Management & Financing Capacities in Africa

8 December 2018  /  10:00 - 11:00

PCCB Capacity-Building Hub / RYSY Meeting Room 24 - Area

Presenter: Mr. Papazoumana Diarra, Head of Contingency Planning, African Risk Capacity

Climate disasters are becoming more frequent, more intense, and more expensive. The cost of natural disasters was about $30 billion annually in the 1980s. Today, natural disasters inflict losses of $182 billion a year – more than six times the cost from 30 years ago. 75% of the losses are attributable to extreme weather events[1], and in 2015, two of the top three countries most affected by extreme weather events in 2015 were from Africa[2].

The prevalence of poverty in Africa further intensifies the impacts of extreme weather events to adversely affect livelihoods, populations, and economies. 95% of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa is dependent on rainfall, and climate variability and extreme weather events contribute to heightened vulnerability such that when disasters hit, hard-won development and progress is easily lost as new challenges emerge.

ARC was established as a Specialized Agency in 2012 by a consensus of African Governments through the African Union (AU) to help its Member States better manage and respond to climate-related disaster risks. In 2014, ARC’s financial affiliate, the ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd) was created with initial risk capital commitment from Germany and the United Kingdom as ARC’s mutual insurance facility. Since its creation, ARC Ltd has successfully paid out 36.8 million USD to four African countries. These funds have gone directly towards helping over 2 million people with targeted, timely assistance. 

A fundamental part of ARC’s work involves increasing the capacities of African governments to manage their disaster risk before catastrophe strikes. In order to utilize ARC’s risk transfer facilities, African governments must successfully complete the ARC Capacity Building Programme, which leverages and collects national technical expertise in early warning, contingency planning, budgeting, and disaster risk management to collectively strengthen the ability of governments to identify and respond to disaster risk early.

The objectives of this session are to introduce the ARC Capacity Building Programme and take stock of the tools used and lessons learned from the implementation of the programme. ARC will illustrate the processes used to strengthen government capacities in key areas of disaster risk management and share some of the main lessons learned by ARC on operational and institutional levels.